You Are My Song
by kahochanlenkunlovers
Summary: Ryoutaro never thought that destiny will lead him to meet Riza, a girl who will teach him about life, love, faith, and acceptance. But will he be able to accept that this new beginning is also be an ending? RnR!
1. Chapter 1

People of Fanfiction, I have returned. Haha.

So sorry if I made a crappy one last time.

I promise you that this story will have some sense in it.

Trust me, it will.

Please enjoy! Thank you!

I DON'T OWN LA CORDA D'ORO AND THE MUSIC THAT I USED

_***~Prologue~***_

_March_

…

..

.

"Please bring this over to table 3…" a lady said, handing over the tray of wanton noodles to the waitress. The lady was middle-aged, as seen in the creases and wrinkles of her face and skin, and her somewhat protruding belly. Nevertheless, she was a jolly person. Always full of joy in spite of the increasing number of backaches she'd received.

"Hai! Hai!" the waitress shouted across the room, carrying another empty tray to be washed. Unlike the old lady, she was much younger, evident in the vibrant color of her skin and her fast movements. She brisk walked to the counter to get the tray of hot noodles, and delivered it to the old man sitting at table three. "Here we go! Enjoy your meal, oji-san!" she smiled at the old man. The man stared at her pretty face, and he smiled back at her.

Another old man stepped out of the busy kitchen to be with his wife at the counter. He embraced her, and they both turned their heads to the young waitress. "She is really hard-working, Mama-san…" he said to his wife, "she's a great asset to our small business."

"Hai, Papa-san..." she said in return. Then a playful thought came upon her. "What if we adopt her?"

The old man chuckled. "Don't be silly Mama-san! She's already 18! And besides…" he paused for a second to take a look at the young lady, "She's far too special for us to handle."

…

Later that busy day, the couple went to the apartment upstairs to check up on her. But other than that, they wanted to talk to her about something important.

Knock-knock was the sound heard in the apartment from the other side of the door. She immediately stopped doing the dishes, even if there were only a few, and greeted the old couple with a charming smile as the door opened. "Ah! Konbanwa!"

"Konbanwa too…" the old man greeted, and she made a gesture for them to go inside. She led them into the small living room, and they sat near the small wooden coffee table during morning-slash-dining table at night. The old couple scanned the place, and smiled when they saw a pile of laundry bags at one corner near the window.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed, and began to pick up the laundry bags and hide them in the small kitchen to their left. "I will have washed them by tomorrow afternoon."

"Now, now… don't be in a rush. Papa-san and I are here to talk to you." The old woman said to her.

"Talk to me about what?" the girl said, and she suddenly thought of something. "Ah! Did I give you the wrong order? Did I deliver a tray of noodles to the wrong table?" she said, waving her arms up and down exaggeratedly. The two visitors laughed. "Calm down! You did nothing wrong!"

"Thank God…" she sighed in relief. "I couldn't bear it if I did. I owe you a lot, you know, and I want to give you the best that I've got!"

The couple was amused. "Well… that's exactly why we came. Seeing that you give your 100% in your work, we decided to thank you with a gift."

"Oh, no please…" she refused shyly, "letting me stay here and eat here for free is enough. Your generosity and kindness is already a gift to me…"

The old man shook his head. "No, for all of the great things you've done for the two of us, you deserve more. And what better way could we think of?"

"That's right." the lady agreed and took her hand. "Dear, you're like family to us. Even though you've only been with us for two years, we've always seen you as our own." The girl looked at her as she spoke lovingly. She smiled.

"Okay…" she said, "it's like I could do something to stop you from doing anything anyway…" The three of them laughed.

"Getting back to business," the man straightened up, "you haven't studied for a while, right?"

"Hai." she nodded absently. "The last time I went to school was when I was in 9th grade at Namimori Junior High."

The lady gasped. "Oh my, you haven't been to school for three years!" she said. "You've already missed a lot!"

The girl nodded again, but now she was confused: what's going on?

"But, you do want to continue your studies right?" the man asked. She nodded once more.

"Hai. If I could, I want to finish until I graduate from college. But since I'm on my own, I have no choice but to work." She explained. The couple stared at each other with complicated facial expressions. "But I don't mind!" she cheerfully intervened, "Besides, who wouldn't want to work for kind people like you?"

After what seemed like mental telepathy between husband and wife, they nodded their heads together, making the girl more confused.

"We've decided to enroll you in Seiso." The man said firmly. "You'll be attending that school this coming September."

"Eh?" the girl widened her eyes in surprise.

"You'll have enough time to review for the qualification exams, at least three and a half months. And by September, you'll become a third year student attending the prestigious Gakuin Seiso!" the lady said with stars in her eyes.

"Wait!" the girl exclaimed, "I'm not sure if I could go back studying! Especially, I didn't have a chance to be a freshman and sophomore! How could I keep up with them?" she was in a state of panic, while the two remained calm and composed.

"Don't worry dear," said the lady coolly, "We'll buy you books covering both elementary and intermediate subjects in high school, and we'll give you more time to rest so that you can review."

Both of them heard her sigh.

"We believe in your abilities." The man smiled, "You are a responsible, industrious, and intelligent girl. We know you could do it. Just believe in yourself…"

The girl reflected for a while as the couple waited for her answer. _They trust me a lot_, she thought, and it would be rather awful if she disappoint the two people who cared for her. She has no choice but to accept their gift of education. Besides, she missed school. It would be a dream come true to enter the school gates once more. She'd like to feel the thrill of meeting friends and going out with them. She'd like to glance at cute boys in different clubs. And she'd like to wear that cute Seiso Gakuin seifuku!

_But then again,_ she hesitated; it's hard to face the crowd again. And there are lots of expectations to be met. She doesn't know if she'll be able to do well, especially for an out-of-school youth like her.

"So, what will it be?" the man asked, face full of expectation. The lady was breathless as well.

_It's either a yes or no…_

She looked them straight in the eye.

_Choose one and live with it. _

Hayakawa Riza parted her lips to speak.

.

.

.

…

_August_

…

..

.

"Booooring!" a little fairy yawned as he flew by a statue when a girl entered the gates of Seiso. Lili turned his little head to gaze upon that girl, who's walking towards the main building, holding an envelope.

"Eh? Another new student?" he exclaimed. "I wonder what's going to be her part in this school's history…"

It seems that every time a new student enters the academy, that person could entirely change everyone's life. Who knows? Maybe that girl will leave a mark not only in Seiso, but also in each and everyone's hearts.

"Konnichiwa?" she asked. The lady at the front desk turned her head, and smiled at the girl.

"Oh, what is it?" she asked. The girl handed her the envelope, and the lady scanned the contents. "I'm Hayakawa Riza-san. I came here the other day to take the entrance exam."

The lady smiled when she recognized her name. "Ah, you came here to see the result of your exam?"

"Hai. I also brought some documents, my bio data, and also my recent school records that the faculty asked me to bring."

"Okay." The lady said, arranging the papers and putting them back inside the envelope. "You may know your results inside the head's office. And you might want to bring these to the main office." She handed her the envelope.

"Hai. Arigato onigaishimasu." Riza then took the envelope and headed to the main office.

She walked by, noticing the school's prestige. She awed when she saw the numerous awards displayed down the hall. Seiso was the best musical academy last year, and the previous years before that. She was also captivated by the sight of gigantic trophies won by the school through music festivals and international competitions around the world. Not only that, but also the countless medals won by the contestants in academic competitions. By now, she realized that Seiso really is the best academy in the district, or if not, in the country.

_The pressure's on_, she sighed, _I'll be facing brainy, musical geniuses for the entire school year. _

She reached the office, and handed the papers to the secretary. Just then, a man in classy garments stepped in the room. It was the descendant of the school's founder, Kira Akihiko. The sight of Hayakawa-san immediately caught his attention.

"Tell me," he whispered to another official who just walked in, "In what department is she enrolling to?"

"Eh? Chairman Kira-san?" the man was amazed. It's the first time Kira had an interest in one of the school's enrollees.

Kira let out an impatient grunt. The man has to answer based on what he knows or else. Hmmm… he sure is one intimidating character.

"Well, it seems that she's going to the General Education Department, Kira-san. But why suddenly ask for that?"

He let out a bunch of sweat drops while Kira-san sighed. Why did he ask for that anyway? He always felt a little uneasy towards Chairman Kira.

"Just so you know that if the school does not support enough music students, I will divide the school into two." He said, giving his kouhai the tiger look, and made it more frightening because of his blood-red eyes.

"H-hai…" the kouhai quivered. He cleared his throat and straightened his collar, so that Chairman Kira wouldn't notice his discomfort. Suddenly, his face brightened, as if he thought of the possible cure for cancer.

"Ne, Chairman Kira-san?" he acknowledged, "Would you give me the permission to have a brief interview with that girl?"

Kira-san raised a brow, still frowning. "For what, Yamada-san?" he asked.

"It's for the school's sake, Kira-san. Think about it…" he said with intent, "What if that girl has a talent in music, but wants to hide it? This school is all about discovering and shaping pure talent, not so the students would be afraid and hide theirs…"

"This school is about producing musical virtuosos who want to excel in every performance and who are determined to face the world, Yamada-san. We don't want shy, preoccupied teenagers to grace the music scene." He stood taller, emphasizing each and every single word that he spoke. The kouhai was speechless, and so were the other people inside the office, including the girl they were talking about. He took a breath, shrugged, and looked at the kouhai one last time.

"Fine. Do as you please." He said and walked out.

Seconds after the shock Yamada-san experienced, he walked towards Hayakawa-san, and introduced himself to the young lady.

"Konnichiwa, I'm Yamada Kouzuto-san. I'm the one in-charge of the auditions for the music department." He smiled warmly.

"Hajimemashite, sensei. I'm Hayakawa Riza-san." She nodded.

"I'd like to conduct a short interview with you, Hayakawa-san. Um, do you mind if we start here and now?"

"No," she said, "not at all, sensei."

The sensei smiled and led Hayakawa-san to the small receiving area near the file room.

"So, Hayakawa-san, I assume that you are about 17 to 18 years old." He started.

"Actually, I'm 18." She said.

"I thought so. Now, from what I've observed earlier, you were enrolling to the General Education Department of our school. And I thought to myself: there's something special about this girl…"

She blushed. "Sensei?"

"What I mean to say is that you look like you're no ordinary girl, Hayakawa-san. I can sense fresh talent in you. And I could say that I've never been wrong about that."

"So what is it that you want sensei?" she asked.

Yamada-sensei looked at her encouragingly. "Take the auditions."

Hayakawa-san felt like a tidal wave crashed on her. The feeling was so intense that she lost thought of everything else.

She took one more look at Yamada-sensei. He had such a nice smile and she could sense that his intentions were good, but she can't help but hesitate. She's being pressured again.

They were silent for a moment, when Yamada-sensei broke the ice.

"Do you like music?"

_Do I like music? _"I love music. Music keeps me company when the rest of the world has gone out."

He smiled at her answer. "Then, you could sing or play any instrument."

"Hai. I used to play the guitar, and I always sing or hum around when I feel like it."

Yamada-sensei stood up and smiled at her once again. "Good then. I'll see you in the school's auditorium after thirty minutes, Hayakawa-san."

_What?_ She stared blankly in shock. _I haven't even said anything!_

"Domo arigato for the time!" he bade and walked out the door.

The door closed, and she was left standing as if her feet were glued to the floor. _Stupid, stupid!_, she frowned. All she ever wanted to do was to be a student wearing the Gen Ed uniform and living a normal school life. But it's too late. Yamada-sensei's expecting her to appear inside the auditorium. What will she do? Will she sing?

_I haven't sung for a long time… what will I do? Should I sing? Maybe I should just tell him that I don't even want to be in the music department… but…._

_But what?_, a little voice said to her. _Are you still scared to try? Why are you even scared?_ The voice in her head continued to talk to her. She shook her head, and laughed the voice off her mind. _I'm going nuts!_, she thought, giggling.

"It wouldn't hurt to try, though…" a tiny voice emerged out of nowhere. She continued on laughing, still thinking that she's thinking to herself again.

Not until a floating bubble floated in front of her face and spoke.

"What's so funny?" the bubble popped, and a tiny blue fairy came about. Hayakawa-san looked at the creature, still thinking that's it's just her imagination, and laughed again. _Oh man! I am crazy! HAHAHA!_

The little fairy became annoyed with all the laughing, so he pointed his wand to the girl's face. "Hey! I'm talking to YOU! Can you even see me? Hello?" it flew around her, waving its wand angrily towards the girl.

Hayakawa-san stopped laughing, realizing that she's had enough. Now that she's back to her senses, she noticed a tiny floating object circling around her, producing tiny, angry noises. Shock ran through her body when she saw the little fairy up close, and she closed her eyes as quickly as she could.

_There is no way that a fairy can exist in the real world! There's just no way!_, she said to herself, eyes closed and her heart throbbing. She doesn't want to open her eyes forever, not with the creepy fairy still flying around!

Suddenly the noise had disappeared. She could open her eyes now. But she was still frightened, so she waited another minute. No more tiny noise! Good! She opened her eyes, looked around, no fairy! She sighed in relief. "I thought so! No fairy!"

"Think again." Lili reappeared in front of her, making her shocked once again. She wanted to scream and run, but the fairy spoke.

"Please don't do what you're about to do", Lili said, and Hayakawa-san just stared at the magical creature with eyes wide open and her entire body shaking like crazy.

She gulped, and sweated as she tried to open her mouth to say something.

"Who… who are you?" she pointed at Lili with her trembling finger.

"I'm Lili, a music fairy." He grinned, pointing to himself. "I'm also the guardian fairy of this prestigious musical academy." Lili confidently flew around the place, studying the scared girl. "Hayakawa Riza-san, right?" he asked.

"How'd you know my name?" she gasped, but now a little less scared and a little more amazed.

Lili crossed his arms behind his neck and continued to float. "I'm a fairy," he explained, "I have mysterious magical powers that even I can't explain. All I know is that when I took a look at you, I already knew who you are."

"Sugoi!" Hayakawa-san exclaimed, astounded. "But… other people don't seem to notice you." She frowned.

"True." Lili let out a pitiful sigh. "But that doesn't matter now!" he cheerfully said, "I'm so happy that you can see me!"

Hayakawa-san giggled as she looked at the cute little fairy. _What a magical encounter!_, she thought to herself, _I feel so lucky! I've seen a fairy with my own two eyes!_

"Would you sing?" the fairy asked, and the girl grimaced and looked away.

"I… I don't think I can…" was her sad and honest answer.

The little fairy didn't believe her. "You can do it, Hayakawa Riza. I know you can."

Hayakawa-san's face brightened just a little, but then again she frowned. Lili rolled his eyes.

"Come on," he said, leading her outside. "I'll take you to a place where you could think."

And they went outside, to the part of the school where the school bells are. Lili remembered the time when he rang the bells for the first time in 25 years. He smiled as both he and Hayakawa-san approached it.

"It's pretty quiet here…" Hayakawa-san observed. The place was far from the noise outside the academy, and all she could hear was the music created by nature.

Lili stopped flying and floated steadily. "I'll be in the auditorium. But for now, I'm giving you time to reflect." He waved his wand around, creating the same bubble where he appeared. "Until then, Hayakawa Riza!" and then he vanished.

"Lili..!" she called, but the fairy had already disappeared. She looked around and sighed. She's all alone now, and all she could do was to take Lili's suggestion and think.

She closed her eyes and remembered the distant memories left behind by her early years of childhood.

_Flashback…_

_It was Christmas Eve, the night was cold and the sky was dark, a sure sign that it was going to snow. There were bright lights everywhere and carols could be heard inside the city playhouse. This year, kindergartners were performing a nativity play, to demonstrate the humble birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ._

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round 'yon virgin mother and child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace…

_A girl playing Angel Gabriel sang. She has such a warm voice that dissipated the chills that were brought about by winter. Her parents watched her proudly in one corner of the theater, and other people who were watching were greatly moved by her performance. People clapped their hands together for the adorable angel after her song._

_The play has finished when the little girl playing the little angel rushed to her parents who welcomed her with a warm hug._

"_Outo-san! Okaa-san!" little Riza-chan ran to her parents. "Did you see me? Did you see me?"_

"_Hai, musume…" her mother hugged her as her father smiled at her. "You were magical on that stage…"_

"_You were amazing, sunshine." Her father stroke her back lovingly. "You have the most beautiful voice…"_

"_Really?" she asked, her big eyes filled with gladness._

"_Truly." Her parents embraced her tighter and kissed her cheek. Little Riza-chan smiled and hugged back her mommy and daddy._

"_I love you, outo-san and okaa-san..."_

.

.

.

"I love you, outo-san and okaa-san…" Hayakawa-san thought out loud as she counted the clouds that were moving across the big blue sky. Suddenly remembering her childhood, she wanted to cry, but that would be awkward. So she stood up, inhaled, opened her mouth and sang a tune taught to her by her beloved okaa-san.

_Dancing bears, painted wings_

_Things I almost remember_

_And a song someone sings_

_Once upon a December_

_Someone holds me safe and warm_

_Horses prance through a silver storm_

_Figures dancing gracefully_

_Across my memory…_

(A/N: the song was "Once Upon a December" if you know the movie "Anastasia.")

She exhaled, and smiled to herself. Singing always made her feel good. And now that she has finally sung, she realized how much she missed it. She loves to sing, and even the bitter memories couldn't do anything to stop her from loving it even more. She looked once again to the clear blue sky, and felt a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. No, she won't hide away anymore, now that she has finally found the courage to sing again.

She marched towards the auditorium, her heart filled with determination and eagerness to face Yamada-sensei and sing for him.

"Oh, Hayakawa-san! I'm so glad you decided to come." Yamada-sensei welcomed her.

"Are you ready?"

"Hai, sensei." She said with willpower. Yamada-sensei then told her to come up the stage.

Now, she's on the stage, feeling the heat of the light and the intensity of the silence. She took the microphone off the mic stand and held it with a steady grip.

"Okay. What will you do, Hayakawa-san?" Yamada-sensei asked, sitting in one corner of the auditorium, but not too far from the stage.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll be singing 'This Is Me', sensei."

Yamada sensei nodded, signaling for her to start. She inhaled for the last time, raised her mic, and began to sing.

_I've always been the kind of girl that hid my face_

_So afraid to tell the world what I've got to say_

_But I have this dream, right inside of me_

_I'm gonna let it show, it's time to let you know_

_To let you know…_

Yamada-sensei smiled from ear to ear upon hearing her captivating voice. _I was right!_, he thought as he took some notes on her singing.

_This is real, this is me_

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_

_Gonna let the light shine on me_

_Now I found who I am_

_There's no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I wanna be_

_This is me…_

She finished the song wonderfully and Yamada-sensei's applause resonated in the entire auditorium. "Bravo, Hayakawa-san!"

She bowed, and smiled at the cheering sensei. Lili was also there, comfortably sitting on his favorite spot, silently admiring her.

"Arigato, sensei!" she beamed. "How'd I go?"

"You were fantastic! You-"

"Failed." Kira-san who was inside the auditorium a while ago interrupted their moment of celebration. (_Ouch…_)

Both Hayakawa-san and Yamada-sensei grew pale. "But why, Chairman Kira-san?" Yamada-sensei asked flabbergasted.

"She's under qualified to be in the Music Department. She can't even play a single instrument! Tell me, Yamada-san: how can she be in the Music Department?" he asked his kouhai with the same blazing eyes.

"It's time we change the rules, Kira-san. Her talent is exceptional! Even greater than those of the music students!" Yamada defended.

Lili wanted to go right in front of Kira-san and whack him in the face with his wand. "That's too harsh, you hear me? TOO HARSH!" he yelled across the auditorium. Kira heard him, but he ignored the little fairy.

Hayakawa-san heard him too, but she was too petrified to even move. She watched the two men argue about her performance, then the time came when both of them seemed to have given up.

Kira-san looked at her and she became more terrified. The sight of his blood-red eyes took her breath away, and she trembled like a scared little kitten during a thunderstorm.

"You're nothing great." He said unsympathetically, "You may now leave. You're wasting your time."

His words struck her like a painful jab in the chest. Over and over again his words resonated in her head. _You're nothing great. You're wasting your time._

Kira-san left the auditorium and Lili followed him. Yamada-sensei stayed in to comfort the poor girl.

"I'm so sorry about that, Hayakawa-san. Kira-san is usually forgiving but…" he continued on, but he couldn't think of anything else to say in front of a girl who's about to break down. He sighed sympathetically. "Gomenasai, Hayakawa-san…"

"Iie…" she tried to hold back her tears that were welling in her eyes. "Daijobu, sensei… I'm okay…"

"Are you sure?" he asked, worried.

"Hai!" she released a fake smile. "Don't worry sensei! Gomen for making you worry."

She promptly left the auditorium to cry outside. She doesn't want Yamada-sensei to see her cry. Kira's words continued on replaying inside her mind, and the more times she thought of it, more tears would fall from her eyes.

_What did I do wrong?_, she sobbed, forcing the heavy feeling to go away. _Oh Lord, help me! _

She continued on running until she was outside the school. She ran across the block, when suddenly she bumped on a certain green-haired boy.

"Hey!" he exclaimed angrily. But when he saw the tears that filled her eyes, he felt sorry for her. He stopped walking and stared at the running girl until she was out of his sight. _That's too bad_, he thought, _she was beautiful but she had to cry. Who could be the heartless jerk that made her cry?_ Tsuchiura-kun clenched his fists, and his anger has only faded when he turned the other way and continued on walking to his destination.

_Later that day… _

"So, how did it go?" Mama-san asked her while wiping the dishes. Hayakawa-san decided to help her.

"I passed the exam." She said casually, "I'll be in the General Department this year."

Mama-san's face brightened. "You passed the exam? Now that's great news!"

Hayakawa-san let out a wry smile and continued on doing the other dishes.

"Ne, Riza-chan, you seem upset…" Mama-san noticed her unusual sadness. "Why is it?"

"It's nothing," Hayakawa-san shook her head. "I'm just a little tired. That's all."

"Then take a rest, dear. I will take care of the dishes."

"Iie, daijobu." She lied. The poor old lady needed help with the dishes, and she doesn't want to slack just because of that horrible experience. So, even if it is against her will, she'll have to lie and pretend. She doesn't want Mama-san to get disappointed as well.

The both of them finished the dishes silently, Hayakawa-san avoiding to have any conversation. Mama-san just stared worriedly at her, but kept quiet because she might upset the girl more. Mama-san only spoke when Hayakawa-san was about to go upstairs to her apartment.

"Oyasumi nasai, Riza-chan." The old lady smiled.

"Hai." Hayakawa-san turned her head and smiled. A real smile. "Oyasumi nasai to you and Papa-san too."

She got to her apartment and went to bed. But before she slept, she said a simple prayer:

_Dear God, thanks a lot for giving me all of the blessings that I had for today. I'm so sorry if I made some pretty stupid mistakes. Please guide me so that I could live the life You want me to have. I love You. Amen._

Hayakawa-san closed her eyes and waited to have a wonderful dream.

Notes:

Hayakawa Riza is an original character that I've invented. She's a Japanese Christian.

(Sounds weird, but hey, one percent of the Japanese population (I think) are Christians.)

So are Mama-san and Papa-san. Don't forget about Yamada Kouzuto-san. (I meant to say that they are my original characters.)

Any comments on grammar? Feel free to correct me.

Desperately needing some tips on how to write a good story. Any tip will do.

More information about the story location, since I don't know where the heck in Japan is Yokohama. (Wikipedia says the anime was plotted there)

I used a lot of Japanese words, and I will probably use more in the next chapters. Feel free to use translators.

Anyway, I have no idea about when classes start in Japan. But then, it's a fanfic, so I guess it's okay if I set it in September.

Criticism is appreciated. But please don't overdo it.

Thank you once again! God bless ya!


	2. Chapter 2

I'm back!

So sorry if it took me a long time to finish this fic. (The pressures of high school. Ugh…)

This is the first official chapter of the story! Yay!

Take note of the twists. I have a really active imagination… haha

Please enjoy this one!

NOTE: This is a fanfiction and all of the events here are not at all related to the latest chapters/episodes of the manga and/or the anime series.

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter One-<strong>

_September_

…

..

.

KRIIIIIIIING!

Click.

"Uhrm…"

Hayakawa-san spoke as her first word for the day. She opened her eyes, and reluctantly got out of bed. There was a frown on her face, telling that she still wants to sleep. But when she opened the window and saw the beauty of the world outside her room, the frown was replaced with a smile. She took a breath of the fresh morning air and felt the warm sunshine as it started to sink into her skin. Her smile got wider.

"Ohayo gozaimasu!" she shouted out the window, and everyone who heard her turned their heads and beamed. They thought that she was a cheerful girl who looked forward to every sunrise.

She skipped her way downstairs after she had prepared herself, and greeted the old couple with a happy face. "Ohayo, Mama-san, Papa-san!"

"Same to you, too." Papa-san smiled as Hayakawa-san reached for a couple piece of bread. He stared at her for a minute and smiled. "Kawaii pigtails." He commented, and Hayakawa-san nodded as she beamed. She looked at the clock, and quickly walked outside when she saw that it was thirty minutes till school starts.

"Ittekimasu!" she bade.

"Chouto matte!" Mama-san swiftly called out, "Have you eaten your asa gohan?"

"I'll grab something along the way!" she shouted as she was about to go out the door. "Sore dewa!"

Before the two could even reply, Hayakawa-san was already on her way. They smiled and looked at each other.

"I just wish that she'll take care of herself…" Mama-san whispered to her husband.

Papa-san kissed his wife's forehead. "Don't worry," he assured, "she'll be fine."

…

Hino Kahoko rushed for the first day of school. Butterflies formed inside her stomach as she ran. She still wears the same Gen Ed uniform, but with a dark green colored scarf around her neck, because she's now a senior in high school. Also, little changes can be seen in her, because her hair grew longer over the summer, down to her lower back.

So, she was running to school, still carrying the violin that Lili gave her over a year ago. She took wide steps and ran faster. She got inside the school, breathless, when her friends Takato Mio-san and Kobayashi Nao-san suddenly attacked her with a hug.

"Guys!" Hino-san gasped, "You frightened me!" Mio-chan and Nao-chan giggled as they cuddled each other.

"You're still too vulnerable…" Nao-san joked. Mio-san smiled.

"Ne,ne! You notice something?" Mio-san showed them her new hairstyle, a curly bob cut that made her look cute. The two girls awed.

"Mio-chan, kawaii ne!" exclaimed Hino-san.

Just then, Fuyuumi-san and Amou-san walked in the scene to join the happy reunion.

"Hot news everyone!" Amou-san quickly started the school year with a scoop. "Kaji-kun transferred to the Music Department!"

As usual, the rest reacted to the news. "Hontoni?"

"Don't believe me? See for yourself!" Amou-san pointed to the gate.

A black Lamborghini can be seen entering the gates and parked to the provided parking space in the school. Every eye watched as the owner of that cool car came out. Girls started to squeal at the sight of a handsome teen with blonde hair and sparkling aquamarine eyes wearing cream and dark gray with a hint of moss green. It was none other than the Romeo of Gakuin Seiso, Kaji Aoi-san.

"Kaji-sama!" girls swooned over him while the male population despised him for a moment. Darn it, why must he always make a scene?

"So Kaji-kun decided to transfer, huh?" a low monotone interrupted the group's focus on Kaji-kun. "Yo."

"Tsuchiura-kun!" Hino-san called. The other girls stared at him as well.

Amou-san gave Fuyuumi-san, who's now in the second year Music Department, a nudge and a wink. "Is it just me or did Tsuchiura-kun look hotter?"

"Amou-sempai?" the girl blushed furiously. True, Tsuchiura-kun did look more handsome than last year. Maybe it's because he did some kind of personal reinvention. Whatever it is, even Amou-san doesn't know why.

"How was your summer, Hino?" Tsuchiura-kun asked. Hino-san looked down.

"Oh, gomen." He apologized. "I guess it's not going well for the two of you…"

"Iie. I'm okay…"

Last year, early winter, Tsukimori-kun had left for Austria. Hino-san doesn't know when he'll come back, but she's still hoping that one day, they will be together again.*

"Geez…" Nao-san slapped Hino-san's back. "Kaho-chan sure is a contender. Imagine-she endured 9 months without the godly violinist by her side!"

"And what contest did I join?" Hino-san rubbed the part where Nao-chan slapped her. "And quit behaving like Kanazawa-sensei, would you?"

On queue, Kanazawa-sensei appeared. "Oi, oi! What's this talk about my behavior?" he scratched his head. "Geez, why are kids always so excited on the first day of classes?" he mumbled to himself. "And all of you better get to class!"

"Hai!" all of them exclaimed as they cheerily proceeded to their classes.

…

"Okay, minna-san, take your seats…" the sensei called out amongst the chattering music students. It was in classroom 3-B, where Yunoki-sempai spent his last year in Seiso. The three of his bodyguards glared at each other as they took their seats.

"No one should take Yunoki-sama's seat but me!" Tsugawa Mai-san gritted her teeth. She and her two friends (A/N: are they even friends? Well, if you consider their sick obsession to Yunoki, they must really have a strong bond. *shrugging*) insisted on being in that class, since for them, this was like a historic spot and should be considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

But no one bothered to take the seat. All are afraid to loose the throne's sacredness.

"Alright!" the sensei started energetically, "As you all know, Kaji-kun transferred in this department. So, I expect all of you to be glad because we'll be having him in this class."

Everyone looked at each other with complicated expressions.

Kaji-kun walked in the room, and as expected, he was an absolute head turner.

"Konnichiwa!" he said, lighting up the whole room with one of his brightest smiles. Even the three bodyguards were blinded by the light. Kaji-kun continued on greeting everyone.

"I'm Kaji Aoi-san. I hope to make some new friends here!" he finished. After ten seconds of silence, the girls inside the classroom literally fainted (A/N: heya… what's the world coming to?). And as usual, the boys were infuriated. They were so jealous of him that they rebuked him even before he was in the room. To Kaji-kun, it was normal. He was always treated differently by his fellow males, especially when he was still in a public boys' school. Luckily, some nerds would follow him around and admire him, so he never felt hurt or lonely. Also, since girls worship him as a demigod like Hercules, life wasn't cruel to him. In fact, it was good… so good.

"Ah, Kaji-kun, you may now take your seat over there…" the cheery sensei pointed to the seat that was once Yunoki-sempai's dwelling place. People stared at him wide-eyed as he approached the sparkling throne. Tsugawa-san and the other two girls twitched their eyes as he comfortably landed his butt in the seat. Hell broke out and the three of them wanted to drag him in it.

But heaven protected this land angel from the demons. And they even swore that they saw him shining, all wrapped in a white robe, wings spread out in majesty, and a glittering halo floated above his head. Never had they seen a guy transform into a gorgeously hot angel.

"The coronation…" Tsugawa-san whispered in awe.

(Medieval Coronation Scene ~ XD)

The Pope held out the crown so that every subject of the kingdom could see its shining glory. Everyone awed as the Pope put it on top of Kaji-kun's head, making him more magnificent.

"His Highness, King Kaji Aoi!"

All of his loyal subjects stood and clapped for him. Everyone, including the kingdom's former king, Yunoki Azuma.

And so began his reign. (A/N: So help me God… XP)

…

Music Department, Class 2-A…

Fuyuumi Shoko-san nervously sat beside Shimizu-kun. "O-ohayo, Shi-Shimizu-k-kun…" she said as her voice quivered. The boy who sat beside her nodded sleepily.

"Same to you… Fuyuumi-san…" he said, yawning.

Fuyuumi-san looked away with a worried look on her face. She'd been like this since this morning, more shy than her usual self. Moreover, she doesn't know why sitting next to Shimizu-kun suddenly became uncomfortable. The more she thinks of logical reasons, the more she became embarrassed as well. (A/N: certainly adds to her "innocent image" huh?) So she stared at her feet, looking how the brown leather shines in the presence of light. _Come on, _she thought anxiously, _even you know that staring at shoes is boring. Be friendly! Talk to somebody!_

But even the little voice in her head couldn't do anything to take away her uneasiness. Shimizu-kun turned his head and stared blankly at Fuyuumi-san.

"Ne, Fuyuumi-san..." he said faintly, "I was wondering... where you spent your Natsu Yasumi...?"

Fuyuumi-san couldn't understand why she felt jumpy. Anyway, she answered.

"Um, I, I went to T-Tokyo..." she mumbled nervously. "I studied ancient J-Japanese c-calligraphy..."

"Ah... that sounds... interesting..."

"Eh...?"

Just then, Shimizu-kun handed her a piece of paper and a felt tip pen. "How do you... write your name in ancient Kanji?"

The girl stared at the piece of paper first, and then decided to accept his request. She started to write her name in graceful strokes. And it's weird because she managed to do it even though her hand was shaking furiously. At last, with one gentle slide of the felt tip pen, she finished writing her name.

Since calligraphy was a form of art, Shimizu-kun awed when he saw it.

"The graceful strokes speak so much of beauty... it's so magnificent..." he said sounding like a total nerd. Fuyuumi-san hid the blush crawling on her face.

"Okay, enough noise and let's start the class..." a boring-looking (and sounding) sensei broke the happy mood of the students. Everyone lazily got to their seats.

"Oh yeah, you have a new classmate..." he grumbled, "Haven't seen this kid around here before. Would you mind if I ask you to come in front?"

Fuyuumi-san and Shimizu-kun perked up. They realized that they were so busy chatting about ancient kanji that they didn't notice anyone new in class. And the others stared as the newbie walked to face the class. Girls gasped while the boys exchanged indifferent yawns. He greeted everyone with a bow, and then started to formally introduce himself.

"Ohayo minna-san..." his voice sent chills down to everyone's spine. Girls were sighing dreamily and the guys hissed, but Fuyuumi-san's reaction was matchless. Her eyes widened in surprise and her body shook as a sudden memory flashbacked into her thoughts when she recognized his voice and his mauve eyes. _It's him! It's..._

"Etou Kiriya desu. Hajimemashite..." Etou-san finished. He took a quick look at his new classmates and sighed. The reaction was too obvious. But his senses were strong enough to notice Fuyuumi-san's weak stare. A little smile played on his lips as the girl quickly lowered her head in embarrassment.

"No way! Fuyuumi-chan?" he laughed, "What a coincidence!" upon saying this, people stared at her. Oh how Fuyuumi-san wished that she could turn invisible. Her entire face turned red, while the grin in Etou-san's face widened.

"Eh? Fuyuumi-CHAN?"

"Nani?"

"Ya-da!"

Her classmates made a show of such a meeting. They were making such a commotion—clamoring, gossiping, gasping—as if they found out that the Department of Education banned teachers from making pop quizzes. While everyone took it... gravely, Shimizu-kun stared at Fuyuumi-san; mute, with his sleepy bottle green eyes. In his mind, a certain thought was starting to sprout up...

"Who... is he?"

...

"Ouch!" Hayakawa-san exclaimed as countless strangers bumped her in the crowded corridor. Most of them were girls, rushing to get a sneak peak in Class 3-3, the room in which she would make her grand introduction to Seiso as a newly declared Gen Ed student.

"Gomen, pardon me... Sumimasen...!" she squeezed her way through the jam-packed hallway, avoiding any possible accidents that can happen. Seriously, who would want to trip on their faces in the first day of school? She looked a round and saw their eager faces, irritated pouts, and a combination of both. She smiled. Such sight seems so unimaginable. But then again, these things really happen, especially when Justin Bieber is around.

The crowd disappeared when one of the senseis turned around the corner. "Okay, there's nothing to see here! All of you proceed to your classes!" she shouted across the hall. Her voice was so loud that Hayakawa-san covered her ears and closed her eyes, as if there's a spaceship launch. When she opened her eyes, people were gone, and she was the only one standing in the middle of the hallway. She looked around, feeling freaked-out. _I forgot how high school feels...,_ she thought. _Weird..._

"Hello there..." a lady poked her on the shoulder, "I'm Takaki Rie- sensei... You must be Hayakawa-san." She smiled a friendly smile, which made Hayakawa-san feel comfortable. (A/N: BTW, she's the one with the spaceship-launch voice.)

"Hai..." she bowed. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Takaki-sensei..."

"Now, now. Hope you'll enjoy it here in Seiso..." the lady said and entered the classroom. Hayakawa-san watched as she entered. She also caught sight of the classroom. It was spacious, with about forty students sitting on wooden study desks. Everything looks so posh, including the uniform that she's wearing. She whistled, realizing how much lucky she was that she made it in this academy.

"Ohayo, minna-san. It's been a month since I last saw your faces." The sensei spoke, her voice so soothing. "I'd also like to introduce you to your new classmate." She looked at Hayakawa-san who heaved a sigh. _This is it! This is really it!_, she pumped her fist and took the first few steps to the room. Everyone looked to the right and saw a girl, with her long black hair in pigtails, and her big emerald eyes wandering left and right, up and down. She waved her hand sheepishly and made her way in front of everybody.

"I'm Hayakawa Riza-san. Uh, it's a pleasure to meet you..." she bowed. She could hear the whispers and giggles. _She's so kawaii! She's hot! _, came from the boys while _I've never seen her before. What's she doing here?_, were from the girls. She released a polite smile and ignored the whispers and giggles.

"Nice to meet you, Hayakawa-san. You'll be sitting over there..." the sensei pointed to a seat near the window, and right next to the person who caused the frenzy a while ago.

He was lazily reading a new textbook when Hayakawa-san seated beside him. He heard the chair move, and swiftly looked to his left. He saw a girl, with her hair reflecting the light coming through the window, her red lips curled up to a gentle smile, and her huge pea green eyes looking at him. He was staring at her, breathless. She was just so pretty...

"Konnichiwa..." she nodded. "Um, guess we'll be seatmates..." she said shyly. The boy blushed.

"Uh..." he stammered. _Hey, she's cute!_, he thought. "I'm Tsuchiura Ryoutaro..."

"Nice to meet you..." she said secretly admiring his face. _Oh my God! He's got the charm of Taylor Lautner!_

Minutes later, the entire class was having English. Hayakawa-san answered most of the questions, so Takaki-sensei was very impressed. Not only her, but also the entire male population of the class. It would be a dream-come-true if one of them had the chance to date her. Tsuchiura-kun felt the same way, though he had somehow forced the idea out of his head. A guy like him would never fall for a pretty face or a sexy body—he's not that dense. But there was something in her eyes... that made him glance at her twenty times during the whole period.

...

Lunch Break

Hino-san, Amou-san, Fuyuumi-chan, Mio-chan and Nao-chan were huddled together in one corner of the noisy cafeteria. Everyone was busy eating their bentos, but Amou-san had other things on her plate.

"Ne, Amou-san" Nao-chan said, "What are you writing on your notepad? Your egg rolls are getting cold..."

"It's just so fabulous!" the girl squealed. "This first day is so full of red-hot gossip! How could I possibly eat my egg rolls?" The others released a drop of sweat.

"Oh!" Fuyuumi-chan gasped, "Um, does, does that include a certain gossip from Class 2-A?" she asked nervously, saying it as fast as lightning. The girls around her looked at each other.

"What?" Mio-chan asked. The others were clueless as well. Fuyuumi-chan sighed in relief. _Thank goodness it haven't spread that fast!_, she thought. _The thing about Etou-kun will make more people curious._

"That's not on my list of intrigues..." Amou-san scanned her notepad. "But if you wanna know something, I'll be glad to tell you some of the juicy scoops I've gathered!"

Mio-chan became excited. "Oh! Tell us, please!"

"First of all," Amou-san made a number one sign with her hand and read the notepad. "Kaji-kun is now seated in Yunoki-sempai's desk. There's a rumor that the three bodyguards were transformed into die-hard fan girls. Also, he's now the brand new Prince of Seiso..."

_Why am I not surprised...?_ Hino-san thought as she caught glimpse of Kaji-kun happily talking with a gaggle of girls.

"Two..." she continued on reading, "There's a new guy in the music department. His name is Etou Kiriya-san, and is accelerated from first year to second year because of his talent on the violin. It is said that he's related to the chairman of the board of directors, Kira-san. He's got this cool, bad-boy image and is totally hot!" She then flashed a photo of Etou-san for everyone to see. Mio-chan instantly fell in love with him, while the others just shrugged. Hino-san twitched a nerve. _That's the guy who insulted my playing!_

"And finally," said Amou-san, "A new girl is in the Gen Ed building. Her name's Hayakawa Riza-san. And honestly, I have no idea on who she is..." She closed her notepad, ending her flash report.

"Huh... Maybe she's just an ordinary girl." Hino-san shrugged. Amou-san quickly retorted to that statement.

"What?" she exclaimed. Hino-san shivered.

"Don't you ever realize that nothing in this school is ordinary? The Violin Romance, the bishounens, you playing the violin—tell me Kaho-chan: do you know something behind these strange phenomena?"

Hino-san was silenced. Amou-san is really determined to find the cause of these events, which is a little fairy floating around the school. She'd better change the topic...

"Okay, okay! You're right!" she took back her words, "Everything really is weird..." She doesn't want any arguments with Amou-san, especially not today.

After that, Amou-san decided to eat her cold egg rolls.

_Class 3-3, Lunchtime..._

Hayakawa-san looked around the room from her table. To her left was a window where she could see the great big sky, to her front was the messy blackboard full of algebraic equations and sample problems. There were chattering students at the back, talking about how boring Calculus is. And to her right was... Tsuchiura-kun, silently munching on his tempura and onigiri. She looked down on her bento, observing how the oil slid down on one of the octopus sausages. She sighed heavily. _So far, so good. But why isn't anyone interested in making friends with me?_ Her brows creased, and then sighed again.

"Um, Hayakawa-san... are you okay?" Tsuchiura-kun paused eating. There was a concerned look in his eyes. She bounced up and turned to look at him.

"Ah! No...Nothing!" she replied wearing a shy smile. "It's just..." she wracked her brain for excuses, "I don't understand anything in Calculus..." The boy just smiled.

"No worries. We had Pre-Calculus last year, so it should be a breeze..." Tsuchiura-kun said. The guy took it seriously, when all she wanted was someone to talk to. _Better tell him..._

"Um... actually..." she blushed, trying not to sound like a total weirdo, "I just feel so... alone. No one would like to talk to me, as if they were avoiding me... I just want to have a nice, casual conversation with somebody..." After realizing what she said, she blushed even more. Why must she blurt out her thoughts?

"Well, aren't you talking to me right now?" he asked. He just had to have those amazing pair of

ocher eyes...

Hayakawa-san's heart beat twice as fast. "I... you're right!" she laughed, and let out an embarrassed smile. Tsuchiura-kun smiled in return.

"Tsuchiura-kun", she returned to her previous tone, "do you think I'm weird?"

"Why would I?" was his curious response.

"People's first impression of me is that I'm weird..."

"No, you're not..." he said with a tone of honesty. "I think you're just quiet..."

After that, Hayakawa-san smiled a true smile. She felt so comfortable talking to Tsuchiura-kun. He was just so friendly, and she could see in his face that he is a nice guy. She said a silent thank you to God. _Thank You, I've talk to someone._

Tsuchiura-kun continued to look at her, who started eating her bento. He released a smile from the corner of his lips. At last, a worthwhile memory for the first day of school...

...

"Kanazawa-sempai..." Kira-san grunted as he read the memo for the upcoming interschool festival in October, "Are these really the selected students who will perform?"

Kanazawa-san puffed out smoke. "Hai. The principal made the list. Got a problem with that?" Kira-san slammed the paper on the table. He was infuriated.

"Why must there be a Gen Ed student on the list? Darn it! Does ojii-sama think he could get away with this!" he yelled across the faculty room. Luckily, school was over and only few people were in the grounds. The sempai released a drop of sweat.

"Take it easy, Kira-kun!" he said, "Apparently he can. But this isn't really a big deal. Some Gen Ed students seem to have interest in classical music... so it's all good." Kira-san let out a groan.

"I hate this." he cursed and thought about the previous Gen Ed student that got in his nerves. Hino Kahoko-san... _Kuso!_

That girl is the biggest wrinkle in the history of Seiso. Because of her lousy violin skills, lesser people have enrolled to the school. And she just got into the concours because of that stupid fairy who gave her a stupid violin! That's the most outrageous thing that could happen in a music academy as grand and as well-known as Gakuin Seiso! And now, another Gen Ed student is going to stain the school's clean reputation in shaping pure talent! NOT ON HIS WATCH.

"Ne, Kira-kun..." Kanazawa-san interrupted his thoughts, "why does your blood boil when you hear the term 'Gen Ed student'?" He took another taste of tobacco. Kira-san glared at him for a moment, then again gave him a reluctant sigh.

"That's none of your business... Now if you'll excuse me..." he walked straight out of the room in heavy steps. _I don't have time for this..._, he grumbled. _The past is the past..._

Meanwhile, a cat jumped on the music teacher's lap. He petted it and the cat went off to sleep. Then, his eyes looked over the list of students. Most of them were in the Music Department, and only one was in the Gen Ed Department. A certain girl from Class 3-3...

"Hayakawa Riza-san, eh?" Kanazawa-san murmured as the cigarette stick continued to burn. There was a look in his eyes... _She might be the one..._

...

The sky was the color of gold and orange when Hayakawa-san decided to leave and help Mama-san in the resto. Today had been a great day, and it's all thanks to Tsuchiura-kun. If it wasn't for him, the day would be awfully boring. He was really fun to talk to, and he's given her a tour of the campus. He even introduced her to some of the people around. With him around, she'll never be a stranger.

She was walking out of the Gen Ed building, when she suddenly heard a warm sound of a musical instrument. It was deep and rich, and really captivating. She recognized the tune... it was Claire De Lune. She closed her eyes to feel the song even more deeply.

She then started walking towards the music, as if she's being hypnotized by a snake charmer. She wants to hear the melody even closer, so that she could satisfy the thirst that is forming in her heart. She wants to hear it, for it reminded her of her dear outo-san, playing the tune on the piano, while his daughter was falling asleep...

The tune came to a halt, and Hayakawa-san stopped walking. She still had the smile upon her face which was caused by distant recollections in the past. From where she stands she saw a boy holding a violin, but only his back. The golden sunlight that reflected the small lake created a beautiful silhouette. She leaned, eager to find out who played the wonderful melody. She could see the profile of his face, and her smile widened as she popped her head out of a tree.

Unfortunately she stepped on a fallen branch and made a loud cracking noise. _Uh-oh..._

The boy turned around, unveiling his handsome face, and Hayakawa-san blushed a bit when she took a glimpse of his sea green eyes. _He's beautiful!_, she thought, looking at the boy's shocked expression. He was a Music student, and probably practicing a new piece to be performed in class.

"Dare desu ka?" he said, looking around. His voice was melodious as well. Hayakawa-san stepped out of her hiding place, shyly taking a step forward.

"Um... I'm just a passerby..." she smiled meekly while waving her hand. The boy smiled gently.

"Oh..." he said, looking at her tomato-red face. "I haven't seen you here before. Are you new around here?" Hayakawa-san nodded modestly.

"Hai... I'm Hayakawa Riza-san. Gomen if I disturbed your practice." She bowed apologetically.

The boy walked over to Hayakawa-san. Her heart beat faster with every step he took. Finally he stopped walking and opened his hand for her to take it.

"Kaji Aoi desu." He flashed a bright smile, and she felt like she was in wonderland. "It's really nice to meet you, Hayakawa-san..."

"H-hai...' she stuttered and took his hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Kaji-kun."

His hand felt warm, and Hayakawa-san felt like she was being electrified. He looks like a living fairytale prince, and she couldn't believe that he was holding her hand. Her eyes sparkled with delight.

"So...what brings you here?" he asked, interrupting her daydream. She straightened up and cleared her throat.

"I heard someone playing 'Claire De Lune' so I followed it. Turns out that it was you practicing your violin..." she explained while Kaji-kun stood there and listened.

"Actually, it's not a violin. It's called a viola, which is kinda similar to a violin." He corrected. Hayakawa-san became embarrassed. _Oh yeah, I forgot that they were totally different!_

"Don't worry. A lot of people can't discern a viola from a violin..." he smiled yet again. Hayakawa-san couldn't help but stare at him. He had such a beautiful smile... She wants to talk to him a little longer, but it was getting late and she should be heading back.

"I'd like to stay here and talk to you, but I gotta go now..." she said. Kaji-kun looked disappointed. "But it was really nice to meet you, Kaji-kun. I hope we could meet again someday..."

"Yeah, me too..." he replied. "Sore dewa Hayakawa-san." He bade. Hayakawa-san's hair played in the wind as she walked away, and he watched her until she disappeared in his sight. Gladness can be seen in his eyes and a smile started to spread on his face.

Of all the screaming girls and the bugging guys he had for today, she was a nice day-ender.

* * *

><p>Hah... I'm relieved... I was planning on making it longer...<p>

Anyway, hoped you enjoyed this first chapter! Love ya!

KahochanLenkunLovers is out! PEACE!


	3. Chapter 3

Whew... I'm back...

So now I decided to write shorter chapters instead coz I don't want anyone to be put to sleep with this story...

Please try to adapt since I too am adapting...

That's all... I love this job!

**-Chapter Two-**

...

..

.

It has been a week since then, and the pressure of high school was just about to start. Hayakawa-san was no exception to this, and all of her getting-to-know-you activities will have to be rescheduled for the following reasons: a Physics assignment, a quiz in Trigonometry, an essay in English, and a quick research about the Great Depression in Economics.

Oh, was she thrilled to do all of these wonderful and educational things!

Top it off with her shifts at the restaurant and her life was as easy as pie.

(I used irony as a figure of speech. Hope you noticed )

It was a Kinyoubi (Friday) when they had the quiz in Trigonometry. Triangles, equations, explosions and nosebleeds were present. Hayakawa-san stared long and hard at her test paper, her mind blank after reading question number one.

"_..."_, her mind went. It was as blank as a piece of bond paper. She tried to recall what she studied last night, but her memory failed her. She tried to figure out a solution, but her brain got re-tangled because of the effort. And so, her last and final option was to stare at it. Stare at it like it was the last time she's gonna see a test paper in Trigo. (Trigo, abbreviation for Trigonometry)

_What will "staring at your paper" do for you? A miracle?_, a voice inside her head chimed in her thoughts. She responded with mental communication.

_That's what I'm hoping for..._ she grunted, the look on her face unpaintable. She could feel her cerebrum throbbing.

She barely had time to study for the dreaded quiz. She had to help Mama-san and Papa-san in the restaurant because it was because of them that she's here in Gakuen Seiso, sitting in a classroom, taking a test...

*sigh*

_Listen, you have thirty minutes left to answer that test. You studied last night; you know how to do this!_ The voice cheered her on, and that mope expression on her face suddenly brightened up, her eyes burning with fires of determination.

"YOSH! I can do it!" she exclaimed, almost jumping off her seat and her fist pumped up in the air.

(The scene would probably look like a chibi Hayakawa-san and Lili flying around throwing confetti... hehe :P Anyways, back to the story...)

"Hayakawa-san?" their sensei suddenly called out, and every head turned to look at what she was doing.

"Gomen, sensei!" she said, realizing that she embarrassed herself in front to the entire class, "I just... suddenly remembered the equation!"

The sensei just sighed at her. "Whatever. Just please be quiet?" the teacher asked her a favor. Hayakawa-san accepted it and quickly seated.

_Geez..._, she sweat dropped as one of the students started to giggle, _I gotta control myself..._

Tsuchiura-kun who just finished the quiz in a span of minutes looked at her and tried to control a chuckle. The result was a smirk, an amused gesture. This girl's suddenness reminds him so much of...

His eyes popped out of surprise.

_No_. Dare he think of it?

_Hino..._

He blinked his eyes to wipe off that thought in his mind. He inhaled a lungful of air, and then continued to review his paper for any mistakes.

_Thirty minutes later..._

In a quiz up to 100 items, our heroine got...

"69." her voice barely even got out of her throat. A dark cloud enveloped her. Yup, she was disappointed.

"It's not that bad!" Tsuchiura-kun said, cheerier than the rest of the class. Hayakawa-san gave a long glare.

He gave an apologetic smile. "Well, look on the bright side! You passed the test!" was his counter to her glare.

"Well, I guess it isn't..." she then began to smile. "Kudos for perfecting the exam!"

"Arigato!" was his glad reply. The girl just smiled.

But still, Tsuchiura-kun's thought hasn't completely left his brain. It still haunted him like a ghost.

_I still can't get her off of my mind..._

...

_After classes..._

A thick crowd gathered in front of the academy's bulletin board. Everyone stared at a piece of paper, tacked onto the board, containing the list of students who will be participating in the Interschool Music Festival that will be held at Gakuen Seiso, a month from now. Everyone talked, chattered, babbled, about the chosen participants.

_The Official List of Participants for the Interschool Music Festival_

"Ne, ne! Manami-chan, you did it!"

"I did?" the pianist squealed in disbelief. "I DID!"

Manami-san and her friends then shared a group hug in excitement that she was chosen to participate.

_Mori Manami, Class 3-A Music Department, majoring in Piano._

"OMEDETOU KAJI-SAMA!" a brood of Kaji Fangirls, also known as the Kajinatics, greeted their one and only Oji-sama.

Kaji-kun gave a warm smile to all of them. "Arigato minna-san!"

And as usual, the Kajinatics melted into the ground, still wearing their big grins on their reddened faces.

_Kaji Aoi, Class 3-B Music Department, majoring in Viola._

"Hn." He crossed his arms, smirking at the name that he just read.

The clarinet player turned to look at him and blushed furiously, timid as ever.

"A-ano... Etou-kun..." Fuyuumi-san said, nervously shaking, "O-om-mede-t-tou..."

He just gave her a confident grin as a reply.

_Etou Kiriya, Class 2-A Music Department, majoring in Violin._

The final participant.

Some creased their foreheads in confusion. Others, wide-eyed in surprise. No one ever thought that this particular event would ever happen again.

_Holy Lord..._

Apparently, history repeated itself.

_4. Hayakawa Riza, Class 3-3 General Education Department, vocal performer._

The blinding stares pinpointed the person standing in front of the bulletin board. The deafening whispers pierced the ears of the one chosen as the final participant. Lastly, the heavy hand that patted the shoulder of...

"Ne, Hayakawa-san, daijoubu?" Tsuchiura-kun asked the dumbfounded girl, hoping that the pat on her shoulder will help her snap out of it.

_No way..._

A minute has passed, and she's still standing there, mute and motionless. Tsuchiura-kun has been with her for a while now, and seeing her frozen like an ice cube was making him extremely uncomfortable.

Not until...

"OH, MY GOD! I CAN'T BELIVE IT!" a sudden burst of emotion came from Hayakawa-san, ecstatic and making such a ruckus. Everyone was taken aback by her reaction.

Tsuchiura-kun flinched. _**This**__ is not the usual reaction._

(Usual reaction: gaping in shock, suddenly yelling out "WHAT THE F***?" and lots and lots of ranting then finally, running off to the senseis...)

"I'm gonna sing! I'm so excited! I can't wait to practice! What should I sing? What do you think? OH MY GOD!" she bombarded everyone with a flurry of questions, _that _everyone being Tsuchiura-kun. She had stars in her eyes, sparkling and in dreamland, though the boy who was in front of her perspired a single drop of sweat on his forehead.

But still, it made him a bit happy. Taking a break from the usual isn't bad.

"Omedetou!" he greeted her with a warm smile, and it made Hayakawa-san stop for a bit to notice the twinkle on his eyes. She couldn't explain it, but everytime that their eyes meet, there's always a rare shine in his peepers.

"A-arigatou ne..." she blushed a bit, hiding her face in her bangs. And after realizing what she did a few moments ago, her face crimsoned faster than lightning speed.

"A-ano..." her voice quivered, "See you later Tsuchiura-kun!" and without another word, she left.

The green-haired lad watched as she disappeared into the crowd. A smile played on his lips, taking pleasure of the thought that entertained his mind.

_Of course... she's different..._

...

Running...

Running..

Running.

That's what she did. She doesn't care about where she was going, she just ran.

"YAMADA-SENSEI!" she screamed, dashing inside the auditorium where they said he could be found.

"Ah! Hayakawa-san!" the sensei beamed at the panting girl in front of him. "Omedetou ne."

"Arigato gozaimasu!" Hayakawa-san bowed, her face almost reaching the floor. The music teacher was surprised to see the sign of deep respect.

"Itashimashite, demo..." he said, embarrassed. "You should be thanking Kira-sama too."

Hayakawa-san straightened up herself. "Hai!" she joyfully nodded. She then headed off to the head's office to thank the chairman of the board of trustees.

"Mata ne, Yamada-sensei!" she bid as the sensei bade too.

...

"Kira-sama," the secretary disturbed Kira-san from reading the newspaper. "A student wants to thank you..."

He grunted. The chairman should only be disturbed during important situations, and **this** isn't important at all.

"Alright..." was his uninterested order. The secretary nodded then proceeded to the door.

"You can come in now." The secretary smiled at the student.

"Hai! Arigatou gozaimasu sensei!" was the cheery reply.

Kira-san straightened his back for a proper seat. He brought his hands together and placed them on top of his wooden table, looking as superior as ever. He heard the door closed, and his eyes caught sight of a familiar girl, only this time she was wearing a Gen Ed seifuku.

"O-ohayou gozaimasu Kira-sama..." Hayakawa-san bowed nervously as the chairman stared at her with the eyes of a vampire. (It's because his eyes are red...: P)

"Stand up." Kira-san commanded and the girl obeyed.

"What could be so important to disturb me?" he said cynically. Hayakawa-san bit her lip before she answered.

"Ano..." she quivered, but a smile tugged her lips and her uneasiness went away.

"Arigatou gozaimasu for choosing me as a participant, Kira-sama!" she beamed at him, her huge emerald eyes sparkling in delight. This made the chairman's heart go "b-dump!"

"It's an honor to represent Gakuen Seiso at the festival! I promise to do the best that I can!" she added joyfully. Kira-san just stood there, dumbfounded.

_What on earth is happening to me?_ The chairman thought. He was always calm and composed, and he could handle his emotions well. However, this sudden warmth that enveloped him when he saw her bright smile perturbed his feelings.

But Kira-san managed to shrug it off. "Do itashimashite, Hayakawa-san." He said, back to his calm tone.

Hayakawa-san smiled. "Argato once again Kira-sama! Sayonara!" she then turned and headed off to the door.

"Chouto."

"Eh—"

She turned around to face Kira-san, and was surprised to see him release a gentle smile.

"Mada mada dane, Hayakawa-san..." he said, his scarlet eyes meeting her olive ones.

She took his statement as a compliment and smiled once again before leaving the room.

And now, without her presence in the room, he proceeded to read his newspaper. It was silent until he heard tiny chiming sounds coming from above.

"Yosh!" Lili stretched his little arms and wings, emerging from his bubble. "So you finally agreed to include her..." he said, a teasing grin upon his face.

Kira-san tossed his face away and his bangs flew as well. "Hn. Go away..." he said bluntly. This made the fairy pout.

"You meanie!" he crossed his arms, but then gave a forgiving smile. _Kira-san has always been like this..._, he thought, amused.

So he floated around the room, measuring the silence like notes, waiting for the proper tempo and perfect timing to disturb the newspaper-reading chairman.

He smiled from ear to ear. The perfect timing.

"Ne, Kira-san..." he started, "She can see me too, you know..."

"I'm informed of that." His gaze never left the periodical, "Domou Lili." And that was the end of the conversation.

But wait, it was just about to start.

"Fifteen years ago... this also happened!" the fairy snapped his fingers as an idea entered his mind.

Kira-san heaved a sigh and put down the newspaper. He already had a hunch where this conversation was about to go.

To his past...

_-Flashback-_

_It was another pleasant April morning in Gakuen Seiso and Kira-san was enjoying it, playing his violin to create such a wonderful melody. He was one of the chosen ones to participate in the concours, and there he was, practicing the piece he selected for the fist selection. He was so engulfed in his own world of music, striving only for beauty and perfection. He wants to feel it—the rare sensation that only perfection can give—and it was within his reach._

_He took a break from practice when he heard a sound of another violin, but it was unlike his melody that was struggling for perfection. It sounded like a song from the heart, a glimpse from the soul of whoever was playing it. He was captivated, and his whole being was charmed towards the melody._

_He has to find out who created that astounding sound._

_His feet have stopped moving as the music stopped playing, and as he returned to his senses, his eyes witnessed something so rare. That melody, that heart-warming tune..._

_Came from his rival._

_And so it was them. A boy and a girl, together as their violins took them to the most beautiful places that only the two of them knew. And as his melody blended with her harmony, their feelings synchronized into the most wonderful emotion anyone could ever feel..._

_It was love._

_But alas, they parted, like the moment when the waters rise up to the heavens. It was period of pain and longing, yet fifteen years have passed... and their music, as well as their souls, never crossed paths again..._

_-End-_

Kira-san relived the moments as he stared out the window, his ruby eyes seeing sapphire sky. The little fairy looked at him with sympathy as he felt what the man was feeling.

"I gave up the violin..." he said with a tone of sadness, "because I never saw her again..."

Lili was still, feeling the same hurt. "Gomenasai..."

"No." Kira-san said, "There's nothing to feel sorry for." He masked his loneliness with his deep intimidating voice. "Now, go away."

And with that, Lili disappeared reluctantly, leaving Kira-san and his thoughts.

...

Yamada-sensei, the one in-charge for the upcoming music festival, welcomed the four participants inside the spacious music classroom.

"Yo-sha! It's time to get acquainted!" he clapped his hands and gave everyone one of his sunny smiles. "Watashi wa Yamada Kouzuto-san. I'm a second year music teacher and also the one in charge of this festival."

"Hajimemashite sensei!" Kaji-san greeted as he was to introduce himself. "I'm Kaji Aoi-san from class 3-B. It's a pleasure to meet all of you!"

He smiled as the only two girls tried to control their blushes.

The girl with the pale brown hair then spoke. "Konichiwa, Mori Manami desu. I'm looking forward to this festival!" she smiled as well and turned to the other female member. "Let's represent girl power!" she encouraged.

Hayakawa-san blushed as it was now her turn. "Hayakawa Riza-san desu. Um... It's nice meeting all of you..." she bowed.

Last but not he least, it was Etou-kun. "I'm Etou Kiriya-san. It's no surprise to be here..." he said, starting to get bored.

"Alright! Now that everybody knows each other I suppose we could discuss the agenda!" the cheery sensei clapped his hands.

"Demo, sensei..." Kaji-kun intervened, "I want to know more about Hayakawa-san..." he followed his sentence with a glance at the girl and a debonair smile.

"Hayakawa-san," Yamada-sensei said to her, "enlighten us."

"Chouto!" she exclaimed, but her protest was cut off by the other two participants.

"I'd be glad to know more about you! Hey, let's be friends!" Manami-san offered and the girl could only nod because she was suddenly pressured.

"You should sing!"

"Yes! What a terrific idea!"

"Yamada-sensei! ."

_Well why shouldn't you?_ The voice egged her on again. Man, was it weird to have a birdie on your shoulder.

"Hai..." she heaved a sigh as she stood in front of them, preparing to sing. But before that, Yamada-sensei handed her a guitar.

"You said that you can play..." he said.

_Yeah I did..._ she sweat dropped. And so, she stood there with a guitar in her hands, everyone waiting for her song.

A minute of silence passed and she finally decided what she would sing.

"Well..." she smiled at all of them, "here goes nothing!'

She strummed her guitar and sang.

_Oooooh Ooooooh_

_Somewhere over the rainbow way up high_

_There's a land that I dreamed of once in a lullaby_

Etou-kun smirked. _"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"? What a kiddy song choice._

_Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue_

_And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true_

Hayakawa-san's cool and calming voice touched their hearts as she sang with emotion and passion. Kaji-kun was already doing the second voice of the song even before he knew it. Hayakawa-san beamed when she heard the blending of their voices. _Suteki... _

_O__ooh someday I'll wish upon a star_

_And wake up where the clouds are far behind me_

Everything was frozen in time. It was a moment when nothing else seems to matter: no problems, no negativity and everything just turned into something beautiful. It was the power of music, the power of her voice.

_At that same moment..._

"Ne, Tsuchiura-kun!" Hino-san called out the green-haired lad, "going home?"

"Yeah..." he replied, hiding the shock that it was Hino-san that called him. (Aww... he's still not over it... :3)

"Me too. I just need to return the music sheets that I borrowed." She then joined him on his walk, hauling her bag and her violin along with her.

The familiar scene caused a smile on Tsuchiura-kun's lips. "Still working hard, ei Hino?"

"Yup! For love's sake!" she beamed, the words she said pertaining to the subject of his hate, that ice cube...

"Tsukimori?" he faked a smile, "Well then, gambatte ne..."

Hino-san stopped on her tracks causing her friend to pause as well.

"I heard music..." she mumbled, "Someone is singing!"

"Well then, let's check it out..." Tsuchiura-kun suggested as he and Hino-san walked along the corridor towards the music classroom.

_Where troubles melt like lemon drops_

_High above the chimney tops_

_That's where you'll find me._

"Sugoi..." Hino-san mentioned as they neared the classroom, "The girl's voice is really amazing..."

"..." Tsuchiura-kun didn't speak a word. Hino-san was right. The girl's voice really is amazing. _No, not just amazing..._ it was alluring, heart-warming, and never has he heard a voice as beautiful as hers.

He's got to know the one who owns that golden voice.

And his need was answered right away as he gazed inside the room; the first thing his eyes landed on was... "Hayakawa-san..."

A sudden light struck his eyes as he witnessed the girl sing and play her guitar ever so beautifully with such great passion. And the song, the very message of the song when sang by her voice... _is the voice of an angle singing..._

_Oh somewhere over the rainbow_

_Bluebirds fly_

_Birds fly over the rainbow._

_Why then, oh why can't I?_

It was her final strum of the guitar when they realized that they were no longer in her calm and serene universe. Yamada-sensei and the rest were still in a trance, and the first to clap for her was Kaji-kun.

The sound of clapping increased as the others applauded as well.

"Sugoi desu ne, Hayakawa-san!" Manami-san complimented while the girl sheepishly bowed.

"Um, it's nothing..." she said modestly.

_It's everything..._ Tsuchiura-kun added in his mind, watching from outside the room. How he'd like to walk up to her and tell her how much her voice shook his emotions, how her voice reached the very bottom of his heart. _I love your voice..._

"I love your voice, Hayakawa-san..." Kaji-kun said, already a step ahead of him. This made him kind of green-eyed in envy. He just restrained himself for doing anything that he might regret or something that will haunt him, and walked away from the spot, trying to ignore the feelings forming inside his gut.

"Eh?" Hino-san gasped, "Tsuchiura-kun?"

"Let's just go home..." he said, not turning his back so that he couldn't see the view from inside the classroom. Another glimpse of it would just drive him nuts.

Meanwhile, Hayakawa-san received a lot of praises from everyone, but it was Kaji-kun that kept on flattering her.

"Even though it's just a simple song, the beauty of your voice really comes out..." sparks flew as he said those words, making the girl more mesmerized than ever.

"Nah..." she shook her head, "Anyways, I'm so glad you liked it!" she then smiled.

"It's our pleasure to witness such a performance..." Yamada-sensei smiled, "Alright then, getting back to business..."

Etou-kun raised his hand. "About the music festival... Is it gonna have a theme?"

"Why yes!" the sensei said, "All of you, the theme is 'Unity'."

"Unity... in composition?" Mori-san asked.

"More of like 'Peace and Unity', but that's one consideration." The sensei answered.

Etou-kun scratched the back of his head in frustration. "Well then, I guess I better work on it right away..."

"That's the spirit Etou-san!" Kaji-kun grinned at him.

"Hn." The maroon-haired lad crossed his arms, "Apparently you're still a kid."

The blonde- haired boy just smiled.

And so, their discussion continued, and Hayakawa-san is feeling more excited as ever.

This is it, another step towards the brand new chapter of her life... a chapter where certain experiences will test her faith, and love to the very core of her heart...

Okay... so I said I was gonna write shorter chapters, but then, I don't feel satisfied in that... :D

And okay... seriously... an entire week to write this chap~! What a long hiatus!

Feel free to flame this crappish fic btw... lol

Oh yeah! Anyone interested to see the cover of this fanfic? Just go to my profile and click on the link!

Thank you everyone and have a great day~! :DDD

Ps: I hoped you understand Kira's flashback. It's my own version of the first Violin Romance that happened waaay before the current time, which is Kahoko's time...

Me is out again! *flying kisses*


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